Maui Time is a free alternative newspaper published weekly in the county of Maui, state of Hawaii. Maui Time was launched in 1997. It serves all of Maui, and is distributed every Thursday. The paper has remained independently owned and operated throughout its existence. Publisher Tommy Russo offers a rich island-wide combination of music, sports, art and community features, as well as Maui’s first true entertainment calendar.

Maui Time provides insightful analysis and in depth reporting. We believe some issues are so important they require thoughtful consideration. We are not a “paper of record”—a daily journal of government meetings, ribbon-cuttings and corporate announcements. We decide what’s interesting and newsworthy and then do whatever investigation is necessary to get the story. We do not wait for official press releases to appear at the office before deciding what constitutes “news.”

We feel that even important stories need to be interesting and easy to read. All the work our reporters did will go to waste if no one reads them. For that reason we don’t write “inverted pyramid” stories where as much information as possible is jammed into the first, dry paragraphs. Indeed, even the Associated Press is now moving away from that, offering customers optional narrative leads for its important stories.

We write our features, essays and stories using all the color, dialogue and structure usually reserved for novelists. When possible, we also try to break away from traditional formats by incorporating interviews, quizzes and lists. We take our time when preparing stories so the writing crackles on the page. We want to intrigue, entrance and sometimes even infuriate our readers.

That means we’re often satirical, opinionated and sarcastic. Our voice is anything other than the bland omniscience that comes from daily newspapers. We don’t pretend to have all the answers, and we believe our readers are sophisticated enough to understand that.

We’re human beings just like our readers, with loves and hates, and we’re always honest about our biases. But we also look at our subjects fairly and honestly. There are more than two sides to every story, but when we feel something is right or wrong, we will not hesitate to say so.